Predetermining counter



Jan. 23, 1951 M. E. TOBY PREDETERMINING COUNTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 18, 1946 INVENTOR. MAX E. TOBY ATTORNEY.

Jan. 23; 1951 M. E. TOBY PREDETERMINING COUNTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 18, 1946 INVENTOR. MAX E. roa

ATTORNEY. V

Jan. 23, 1951 M E TQBY PREDETERMINI'NG COUNTER- 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 18, 1946 INVENTOR. MAX E. roar g S. f

ATTORNEY.

Jan. 23, 1951 M. E. TOBY PREDETERMINING COUNTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 18, 1946 2 M 5 u 5 my r 4 7 W fl INVENTOR. MAX E. TOBY yawn,

Patented Jan. 23, 1951 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE PREDETERMINENG COUNTER Max E. Toby, San Francisco, Calif., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Philip R. Beutel and John 0. Wills Claims.

A further object of my invention is to provide improved predetermined counter having means adapted to be set to count a predetermined number of successive operations, and embodying also an arrangement whereby the number of operations already performed will be indicated at all times.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved counting mechanism which is characterized by its accuracy in counting and the ease and facility with which the predetermining counter may be reset.

Other and further objects of my invention will be pointed out hereinafter or will be indicated in the appended claims, or will be obvious to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the present disclosure. For the purpose of this application, I have shown certain details of a counter representative of my invention; it is to be understood, however, that the embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is for the purpose of illustration only, and that therefore it is not to be regarded as exhaustive of the variations of the invention, nor is it to be given an interpretation such as might have the effect of limiting the claims, short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a counter embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken through one of the counting units;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

, Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line Application February 18, 1946, Serial No. 648,471

manner to a mechanism of which the operations are to be counted, is formed with an inwardly protruding element 3 which is arranged in operative engagement with a U-shaped member 4 carried by an operating yoke 5. The oscillatory movement of the shaft 2 will cause the pivotal reciprocatory movement of the operating yoke forwardly and rearwardly.

The operating yoke isv pivotally suspended i from a rotatable shaft 6 having a longitudinal key way or slot $0; formed therein. The shaft 6 provides an axial support for a number of independently rotatable counting wheels I and predetermined count wheels 8 each of which carries a series of equally spaced consecutive numbers from 0 to 9 at its periphery.

The counter, for illustration purposes, is shown as having four denominational groups or units A, B, C, and D, each of which comprises similar elements which are arranged for observation through sight openings Ia provided in the upper side of the casing or frame. Afixed to the shaft 6 is a master resetting disc 9 which is capable of being hand rotated only in a forward or counter clockwise direction as viewed from its position shown in Fig. 5. The master resetting disc by rotating the shaft 6, effects the rotation of the counting wheels 7 and the predetermined count wheels 8 of all of the denominational units as will be described later.

Arranged alongside the counting wheel "I of each of the units is a ratchet wheel In which is mounted for independent rotation on the shaft 6. The ratchet wheels are formed with ten spaced teeth and the space between two of the teeth are deeply recessed as shown at H in Fig. 4. Each of the ratchet wheels ID is secured to its associated counting wheel 1, as by pins l2. The ratchet wheels are each normally releasably retained in its respectivel adjusted position after each partial revolution, by a detent I3. The detents are pivotally mounted on a shaft l4, and a suitable spring member l5 releasably maintains each of them in engagement with its associated ratchet wheel and against one of the latters teeth, thereby preventing the reverse rotation of the said ratchet wheel after each partial rotation thereof.

Pivotally carried on and between the parallel arms of the yoke 5 is a pawl shaft l6, which for convenience in assembly, is made up of a plurality of joined sections. The pawl shaft I 6 carries a series of pawls I1, each of which engages with a ratchet wheel Ill. The pawls I! ar $0 arr n ed, with re p ct to one another and to the ratchet wheels iii that when the particular pawl associated with the ratchet wheel of the denominational unit A engages with the periphery thereof, the other pawls, as shown in Fig. i, are in disengagement with the peripheral teeth of their respective ratchet wheels. In the same manner, when the particular pawl i? as sociated with the ratchet wheel Ii! of unit B engages with the said wheel, the pawls associated with the ratchet wheels of units C and D are disengagement with their respective ratchet wheels; and similarly, the same relationship is present between the pawls and the respective ratchet wheels of units C and D. The only time when the pawl i'l associated with the ratchet wheel It of unit B may come in contact therewith is when the pawl oi unit A enters the recess ll of its associated ratchet wheel. In the same manner, the pawl ll of the units C is permitted to contact its associated ratchet wheel only when the pawls of units A. and B occupy the recesses of the ratchet wheels of these units. Similarly, the pawl l! of unit D is permitted to contact its associated ratchet wheel ii and enter the recess thereionly when the pawls of the other units have c cupied the recesses ll of their associated ratchet wheels. V

A spring l8 encircling the pawl shaft l6 urges the latter in a direction whereby its pawls I! may engage with their associated ratchet wheels Ill.

So as to permit the manual resetting of the wheels I and 8 when the master resetting disc 9 is rotated forwardly, suitable clutch means is interposed between the rotatable shaft 6 and the counting wheels 1 for operatively connecting them when the resetting disc is manually turned, the said clutch being capable of allowing the independent rotation of the counting wheels during the normal counting operation of the device. Each denominational unit comprises a similar structure wherein a cam l9 housed within the counting wheel I is keyed to the shaft 6 and arranged to engage with a spring pressed pawl carried by the counting wheel. When the cam is turned in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 8) by rotating the shaft 6 through the manipulation, of the master resetting disc 9, it engages with the pawl 28 and thereby establishes a connection between the shaft ii and the counting wheel I. The continued rotation of the resetting disc 9 will thereupon cause all of the counting wheels 7 to be turned to the desired reset position, and

with the predetermined count wheels 8 connected to the counting wheels I in the manner hereinafter described, these also will be rotated and reset along with the counting wheels when the master resetting disc 9 is adjusted in a forward or counterclockwise direction. Since the ar-, rangement of the cam l9 and pawl 20 is such that the pawl can be carried by the wheel I in counter-: clockwise direction around the cam without operatively engaging therewith, the said wheel is thereby free to be rotated by the operating mechanism in the manner heretofore described.

The relative arrangement of the peripheral markings or numbers on the counting wheels i with respect to the recesses H of the ratchet wheels is such that when the zero marks are in alignment the recesses are also in alignment.

Referring particularly to the denominational counting units A, B, C and D, it is to be noted that each have identical constructions wherein a counting wheel I and a predetermined count wheel 8 are arranged in operative association adjacent one another, and accordingly a description of one will sufiice for all. The peripheral numbers carried by the predetermined count wheels 3 are in reverse order with respect to the corresponding numbers on the counting wheels, thus when the wheels are simultaneously rotated in the same direction during a counting operation, there will be indicated by the counting wheels a forward count and by the predetermined count wheels a backward count.

Housed within the peripheral edges of the predetermined count wheel 8 is a ratchet wheel 2| having ten equally spaced teeth and a tubular axial extension through which the shaft 6 extends and which forms a bushing 21a on which other elements of the assembly are rotatably mounted. Carried by the counting wheel 1 is a spring pressed pawl 22 which engages with the ratchet wheel 25 secured to the predetermined count wheel 8. The predetermined count wheel 8 is free to rotate independently of the counting wheel 1 in a forward or counterclockwise direction (Fig. 6) when it is being reset, but when the Wheel 1 rotates in this same direction during a counting operation or when it is being manually reset, the pawl 22 engages with the ratchet wheel and causes the simultaneous rotation of the two wheels.

Secured together as by a pin 23, and rotatably mounted on the bushing 2 la, is the predetermined count wheel 8, a cam disc 24 and an axially arranged ratchet wheel 25 which has ten equally spaced teeth. Rotatably mounted on the shaft is a manually operable resetting disc 26 for setting the predetermined count wheel 8. The manually operated resetting disc 26 carries a spring pressed pivoted pawl 2'! which engages with the axial ratchet wheel 25 secured to the cam disc 2-? and the predetermined count wheel 8. When the resetting disc 25 is manually rotated in a forward or counterclockwise direction (Fig. 9) it will carry its connected pawl 21 in the same direction into lock engagement with the ratchet wheel and with the rotation of the latter the cam disc 2d and the predetermined count wheel 8 are both similarly rotated. Thus the predetermined count wheels 8 together with their respectively associated cam discs 24 are each capable of being independently reset. The predetermined count wheels 8. are capable of rotating forwardly or in a counterclockwise direction during the counting operation of the device, independently of the resetting disc 26.

It is to be noted that the pawls 22 carried by the counting wheel 1 are arranged in the same relative positions with respect to a certain number on the peripheries of the said counting wheels, and since the cams H! are also arranged in corre-, sponding positions, a continued turning of the master resetting disc 9 will bring corresponding. numbers on the four counting wheels into horizontal alignment. It is also, to be noted that the cam wheels 24 are so correspondingly arranged with respect to a certain, common number on the predetermined. count wheels 8 that the notches in the said cam wheels will be in horizontal alignment when the predetermined count wheels are positioned with their corresponding numbers aligned.

So as to avoid the possible partial turning of the resetting discs 9 and 26 or either of them in a reverse or clockwise direction and also to provide suitable finger engaging means, each disc, is formed at its periphery with ten equally spaced grooves 28, any one of which is adapted to be engaged by a rotatable wheel 29 carried at an end of a pivoted stop member 30. Each of the stop members 30 is centrally pivoted on the shaft l4, and an individual spring member 3| (Figs. 4 and 9) engaging with its depending portion urges its upper end forwardly so the wheel 29 carried thereby firmly engages with its associated resetting disc.

So as to provide suitable means for preventing any possible forward or counterclockwise movement of the counting wheels -'I when the predetermined count wheels 8 are being reset, a rearwardly shiftable locking plate 32 is arranged to exert a rearward pressure upon depending ends of the detents l3 through the springs I5, thereby causing the forward ends of the detents to firmly engage with the ratchet wheels and prevent a clockwise movement thereof. The locking plate 32 is provided with a forwardly extending rod 33, the forward end of. which is positioned for convenient engagement by an operators finger. A coiled spring 34 encircling the rod 33 and positioned with its opposite ends in engagement with a stationary member 35 and a flange or protuberance 36 on the rod, causes the return of the rod and the locking plate 32 to their forward normal positions when manual pressure on the rod is released.

Extending horizontally in parallel relation to the shaft I4 is a control shaft 31 which, in a well known manner, operates a signal or otherwise governs the operation of a machine to be controlled. Secured to the control shaft 31 are four forwardly and upwardly projecting members 38 which horizontally, are in alignment. The forward ends of the members 38 are positioned in engagement with the peripheries of the cam wheels 24; and all of them are adapted to move downwardly inside the notches of the cam wheels when the said notches are all in alignment. A spiral spring 39 encircling the control shaft 31 is anchored at its opposite ends to the frame I and to the said shaft. The spiral spring exerts a pressure on the control shaft tending to depress the forward ends of the projecting members 38, and when the notches of the cam wheels 24 are in certain alignment, the said projecting members are free to move downwardly inside the said notches, thereby allowing the spiral spring 39 to partially rotate the shaft to sound a signal or otherwise control the operation of the machine or apparatus to be controlled. The zero markings on the predetermined count wheels 8 are so correspondingly arranged with respect to the notches of the cam wheels 24 that the said zero markings of all of the predetermined count wheels will be horizontally aligned and positioned di-- rectly beneath the sight openings la of the frame or casing when the projecting members 38 of the control shaft have become positioned in the aligned notches.

In the illustrative structure shown and described herein the denominational counting units A, B, C and D, previously set in a relationship designating a predetermined number, will be operated through the continued oscillation of the.

operating shaft 2 until the predetermined number of operations have been counted, and then the control shaft 31 will be automatically actuated to give a signal or discontinue the operation of an associated machine.

The initial operation of the device requires that the master resetting disc 9 to be first rotated in a forward or counterclockwise direction until all of the counting Wheels 1 are in positions where 6* the zeros are in horizontal alignment directly beneath the sight openings la. Then with the left hand engaging with and forcing the rod 33 rearwardly to move the plate 32 into locking engagement with respect to the stop members [3, the predetermined count wheels 8 are rotated through the resetting discs 26 to positions where they indicate the particular number to be counted. The counter is now ready for operation, and with the continued oscillating of the operating shaft 2 the predetermined count wheels 3 and the counting wheels I will rotate simultaneously until the predetermined number of operations have been completed, at which time the control shaft 31 will be actuated to control the operation of the associated machine. When the predetermined number of operations have been performed the counting wheels will indicate the counted number and the predetermined count wheels will indicate zero. The same number of operations may be repeated by manipulating the; master resetting disc 9 until the counting wheels-v indicate zero, at which position the prede-- termined count wheels 8 will indicate the pre-' viously selected number.

What I claim is:

l. A predetermining counter, a plurality of axially aligned operatively connected counting: mechanisms, each of said mechanisms having a. counting wheel, a predetermining wheel and ratchet means releasably connecting each counting wheel and its associated predetermining wheel and operable to effect an operative connection between said Wheels only when the counting wheel is rotated in its positive counting direction, the said ratchet means being releasable upon the manual rotative independent adjustment of the predetermining wheel in the same direction the counting wheels rotate when effecting a positive count, means for rotatively adjusting the counting wheels simultaneously to bring them into preset positions preparatory to a counting operation, a rotatable adjusting disc associated with each predetermining wheel and rotatable only in the direction the counting wheels rotate when effecting a positive count, a second ratchet means releasably connecting each predetermining wheel and its associated adjusting disc and operable to effect an operative connection therebetween only upon the rotative movement of the disc in the same direction the counting wheels are rotated in their positive counting direction, the said second ratchet means being releasable when the predetermining wheel is rotated with the counting wheel during a counting operation, a notched cam wheel secured to each predetermining wheel, and control means cooperating with the notched cam wheels and operable when the notched cam wheels assume predetermined corresponding positions.

2. In a predetermining counter, a plurality of axially aligned operatively connected counting mechanisms, each of said mechanisms having a counting wheel, a predetermining wheel and ratchet means releasably connecting each counting wheel and its associated predetermining wheel and operable to effect an operative connection between the said wheels only when the counting wheel is rotated in its positive counting direction, the said ratchet means being releasable upon the manual rotative independent adjustment of the predetermining wheel in the same direction the counting wheels rotate when effecting a positive count, means for rotatively adjusting the counting wheels simultaneously to bring counting operation, a rotatable adjusting. disc associated with each, predetermining wheel and rotatable only in the direction the; counting wheels rotate when effecting apcsitivecount, means for holding each adjusting disc in a, stationary position during, the rotation of its astsociated predetermining wheel during a counting. operation, a second ratchet means releasably connecting each predetermining wheel with its associated adjusting disc and. operable to effect an operative connection therebetween only upon the rotative movement of the adjusting disc, the saidsecond ratchet means being, releasable when the predetermining wheel is rotated. with the counting wheel during a counting operation, acamwheel operatively connected to and rotatable with each predetermining wheel and arrangedin a certain position with respect to. a-zero marking on its associated. predetermining wheel, the-said cam wheels and predetermining wheels of the counting mechanisms being in corresponding relative positions, and control means cooperating with the cam wheels and operable when the cam wheels assume predetermined corresponding positions.

3. In a predetermining counter, a rotatable supporting shaft; a plurality of axially aligned operatively connected counting mechanisms mounted on theshaft, each of said mechanisms having a counting wheel, a predetermining wheel and means releasably connecting-the shaft and a counting wheel and operable to effect an opera tive connection therebetween upon the rotative movement of the shaft in the direction the counting wheels rotate when making a positive count, means for rotating the shaft to effect the simultaneous adjustment of the counting wheels to bring them into preset positions, ratchet means reieasaoly connecting each counting wheel and its associated predetermining: wheel and operable to effect an operative connection between the said wheels only when the counting wheel is rotated in the direction it rotates when mak'ng a positive count, the said'ratchet means being releasable only upon the. independent manual rotativeadjustment of its associated predetermining wheel in the same direction the counting wheels rotate when making a positive count, an independent. hand rotatable. adjusting disc-operatively connected to each: predetermine ing wheel for adjusting said wheel to indicatethe number of operations. to be counted, and control Inapredetermining, counter, a plurality of axially aligned operatively connected counting.

mechanisms, each of. said mechanisms having, a

counting wheel, a predetermining Wheel. and,

ratchet,meansreleasably connecting each count.- ingwheel and its associated.predetermining wheel and operable to effect an operable connection. between both of said-wheels only when the countingwheelis rotatedin its positive counting direction, means for rotatively adjusting the counting wheels. simultaneously to bring them into a preset position. preparatory to. a counting. operation, a rotatable adjusting disc operati-vely connected through ratchet means Witheach predetermining wheeland rotatable only in the direction the counting wheels rotate when effecting a positive. count, the-said. adjusting discs each having, aip redetermined number of uniformally spaced grooves arrangedcircularlyin its periphery, and spring pressed means engageable with the periphery of each adjusting disc and adapted to become lodged in one of the peripheral grooves of the said disc, whereby the said disc is releasably held against rotation with its associated predetermining wheel. during a counting operation.

5. In a predetermining counter, the combinationset forth inclaim 4 together with hand operated means for holding all of the counting wheels against rotation when the predetermining Wheels are being reset.

MAX'E. TOBY.

REFERENCES CITED.

Thevfollowing; references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,040,026 Spaunburg -May. 5, 1936 2137,0113. Bradley Nov. 15,1938 

